Automatic control attachment for permanent waving machines



March 8, 1938.

A. E. RANDALL 2,110,826 AUTOMATIC CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR PERMANENT WAVING- MACHINES Filed 00L 5, 1938 ATTORNEYS WITNESS Patented Mar. 8, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC CONTROL ATTACHMENT FOR PERMANENT WAVING MACHINES 2 Claims.

This invention relates to automatic controls for electrically actuated permanent hair waving machines, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which is 5 entirely automatic in operation and may be readily adapted to a head of an electrically operated hair waving machine for the purpose of stopping the steaming of the hair at a proper time to prevent over steaming -or burning of the hair and thereby eliminate the present practice of relying on the judgment of the operator when the steaming operation should be discontinued and which is accomplished by manually breaking the circuit of the heating rods of the machine.

With these and other objects in View, this invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a head of an electrically actuated permanent hair waving machine and showing my invention adapted thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a diagrammatical view showing the wiring diagram and the automatic electrical breaker for the circuit.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral I indicates a head of an electrically operated permanent hair waving machine and 2 the electrically heated rods on which the hair is wrapped after being moistened for steaming. The rods 2 or heating coils thereof, indicated by the numeral 3, are connected in an electric circuit 4. It is the present practice of controlling the circuit 4 by a switch 5 depending on the judgment of the operator when the time has arrived to turn off the heat to the rods 2. To eliminate this present practice of manual control of turning off the heat my invention is adapted to the head I and consists of a collecting chamber 8 of substantially funnel shape arranged in an inverted position directly over the heating rods 2.

- The outlet neck of the collecting chamber is indicated by the character 1 and is in direct communication with a horizontally arranged tube 8. Formed on the collecting chamber 6 are bosses 9, one of which supports an electrical exciter bulb I arranged within a housing H provided with an opening l2 aligning with one end of the tube 8 so that the rays of light from the exciter bulb may pass through the tube. A photoelectric cell or electric eye I3 is supported by the bosses and arranged opposite the other end of the tube from the exciter bulb. The exciter bulb and photoelectric cell are electrically connected in the electric circuit 4. The photoelectric cell controls the circuit 4, that is, closes said circuit as long as it is subjected to the rays of light from the exciter bulb. However, when the rays of light are interrupted it breaks the electric circuit 4.

In operation, the hair of a person is first moistened and then wrapped upon the rods 2. The switch is then closed causing illumination of the exciter bulb and the energization of the heating coils 3. As the hair is steamed and loses its moisture by the heat from the rods 2 smoke will be produced and passes into the collecting receptacle 6 and thence into the tube 8. The smoke entering the tube 8 interrupts the rays of light from the eXciter bulb through the tube to the photoelectric cell, causing the latter to actuate to break the circuit 4 and consequently deenergize the heating coils 3 of the rods preventing over steaming or burning of the hair.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. In combination with a head of an electrically operated hair waving machine including electrically heated rods for steaming of hair thereon, an electric circuit connected to said rods, alight sensitive apparatus connected in the circuit for controlling the latter, and means for collecting smoke from the hair dried on said rods and directing the smoke within the range of said apparatus to bring about breaking of the circuit.

2. In combination with a head of an electrically operated hair waving machine including electrically heated rods for steaming of hair thereon and an electric circuit connected to said rods, a collecting receptacle associated with said rods to receive smoke from hair as the hair becomes dry, an electrical exciter tube and a photoelectric cell supported by said collecting receptacle and electrically connected to said circuit, a tube arranged between said photoelectric cell and the eXciter tube to direct rays of light from the latter to the photoelectric cell for maintaining the circuit closed, and means connecting the tube to the collecting receptacle to receive smoke therefrom for interrupting the rays of light and thereby bring about breaking of the electric circuit.

ARTHUR E. RANDALL. 

